The Celiac Series: Navigating Picky Eating
How do I go about introducing new, gluten free (GF) foods to my child who is a picky eater?
Oh the joys of having a kiddo that is particular about what he, she, or they eats! Having to find that perfect substitute for their favorite gluten-containing foods can be difficult but thankfully in this day and age, there are so many great companies out there that are selling GF certified foods. To help you in this quest, I have a few helpful resources that I’d like to share with you.
Resources:
Good For You Gluten Free
A well established blogger by the name of Jenny Finke is dedicated to helping the celiac community. I’ve followed her for a few years now and I love what she’s doing. Jenny not only has celiac but she’s also a certified gluten free practitioner and certified integrative nutrition coach. In addition to her guidebook, “Dear Gluten, It’s Not Me, It’s You,” she has an ebook called “The Ultimate Guide to Eating Out Gluten Free,” which can be really helpful for those wanting to feel more secure about navigating the restaurant scene.
To add, Jenny stays very well informed on the certified GF brands and companies that are trying to build a name for themselves. She’ll partner up and promote these brands often, sharing where you can buy their food items, why she recommends them, etc. You can find yummy, typically easy-to-make recipes using these products on her blog and Instagram. Moreover, new food content is added almost daily so if you’re looking for some creative ideas or GF alternatives, check out her videos! I encourage your child or teen to take a peek too because I have no doubt they’ll find something they want you to make or bake.
2. Find Me Gluten Free
Find Me Gluten Free is an app dedicated to the celiac population. It has a Yelp type feel in that it’s all about Celiac Friendly/Dedicated GF restaurants and what people are saying about them. For one thing, there’s a safety measure component for people to rate the restaurant on and there’s usually a good amount of reviews you can read over, depending on where you live of course. As the Founder of the app reiterates, it’s a resource with a wealth of information but it’s still heavily advised that you ask questions about meal preparation and potential cross contamination when they’re dining out or purchasing food to-go.
One great way to increase receptivity to a new diet is to take your child out on a little date and treat them to a meal. It doesn’t have to be any place fancy but when show them a place that offers great GF alternatives, the new diet “doesn’t seem so bad.” It allows your child to see that there are lots of safe options for them that are just as delicious as the foods they used to eat (i.e. GF chicken tenders, GF pizza, etc.). Then you’ll have more buy-in! So, start that celiac friendly restaurant/take-out spot list and you’ll have some child-approved options ready to go whenever needed.
Getting Creative
The next piece to this challenge is that you may have to get a little more creative with meal time! For instance, you’re likely introducing more fruits and veggies than you have in the past and that’s great. Now, you have to make those look appealing to your child. “Dress up those fruits and veggies”-make funny looking animals out of them, serve them with fun GF condiments like ranch or ketchup….If those boring fruits and veggies look a little more exciting and appetizing, your child is likely to eat them. As mentioned before, I also really urge you to include your child with the meal prep. If the preparation and eating is more like “a fun activity” rather than something we have to do for nutrition, your child won’t be so focused on the new diagnosis and the changes associated with it.